New Books on My Bookshelf – A Book Review

Like all things related to poker, the sheer volume of poker books on the market seems to have increased exponentially in the past year or two. In the past, I scooped up each new book as soon as it came on the market. However, I couldn't do that now even if I wanted. I did get a chance to read several new books this summer, though. In my next few columns, I will provide a bit of info on the three that made the strongest impressions on me.

The Making of a Poker Player, by Matt Matros

While reading Matt's book, I was reminded a bit of the days when I read and reread Anthony Holden's Big Deal. This was back before I moved to Vegas and before Internet poker, so quite often the closest I could get to a poker game was to read the book and live vicariously through Holden's experiences.

Since that time, I have waited for the day when another, more up-to-date, book would appear on the market to offer a similar experience to its readers. After reading Matros' new book, I can safely say that Big Deal is now officially obsolete.

Matros takes readers on his own personal poker journey, from penny-ante beginnings to the final table of the World Poker Tour (WPT) championship. Along the way, he shares some valuable strategic insights and advice. Although the book is not a strategy guide in the traditional sense, I must say that it forced me to think hard about the way I play poker, something that not all strategy books accomplish. In particular, Matt discusses the dynamics and relevance of game theory in poker, a topic rarely touched upon in the poker literature.

What makes this book great, though, is Matros' engaging writing style, which drew me in as a good suspense novel would. Matt paints a vivid picture of his poker experiences, such that I wanted to stay home and finish the book rather than go out to play poker myself. He also relates several amusing anecdotes about his rookie experiences with well-known poker personalities, including Phil Hellmuth and Mike Sexton.

Although I think just about anyone would enjoy and benefit from The Making of a Poker Player, I would particularly recommend it to young players who have been playing for only a couple of years or less. Matt was in your shoes, and is willing to talk about how he grew and developed as a player. Most successful players are either unwilling or unable to do this. This book offers its readers a unique opportunity to grow along with a budding professional player, who also happens to be a great writer. Take advantage of it.

In the next issue, I'll take a look at Barry Greenstein's new book, Ace on the River.

One last thing: I've been having difficulty receiving e-mail through Card Player, so I've set up a new account. If you have comments or questions, please e-mail me at MarkGregorich@hotmail.com.